Don't Mess with the Puget Sound

How many of you (raise your hands) have seen a bumper sticker saying "Don't Mess with Texas"? Who knew that slogan was from an anti-litter campaign? I didn't until yesterday. Our KEEP group was visited by Dave Ward, Stewardship Chair, from the Puget Sound Partnership. He came to give us a pep talk about getting the "Puget Sound Starts Here" brand out in front of people. His passion is to make this message as recognizable as the Texas slogan.

He had some good points about saving the Sound. I'm sharing a few:

• First of all, recognizing that the Sound has a problem is a hard sell. Dave said it would be much easier if the Sound was on fire instead of reflecting Mt Rainier in its luminous blue waters. 4.3 million people aren't connected with the health of Puget Sound. Most just think of the Sound as a huge playground.
  
• Dave made a point of reminding us that we aren't seeking to convert anyone. We don't need any more greenie zealots. We just need ordinary people to change their everyday behaviors to turn around the direction the Sound is heading.
• Dave illustrated that information doesn't precipitate behavior change. Just because we know what is right, doesn't mean we do it. Awareness must be joined by convenience, support and, yes, even laws. Dave calls this infrastructure.
• He gave a colorful example of how a delicate problem with truckers was dealt with. It seems that truckers don't like to stop to pee (at least male truckers), so they fill up milk jugs, then toss them out the window when filled. (Another factoid I wasn't aware of). The solution to this gross out to the road clean up crews, was to install elevated waste receptacles at truck stops. The truckers simply have to roll down the window and deposit their jugs. The truckers certainly had the awareness that tossing their jugs was a no-no, now they have the infrastructure to make the behavior change.
• Good news is that Puget Sound is now getting attention from the Feds. The Sound is joining places as the Everglades and the Great Lakes as an "official" place worthy of restoring. The EPA just promised the Partnership 6 million dollars over 5 years. KEEP is expecting to get a minuscule bit of this money for local programs.
  
• Dave reminded us that the Puget Sound Starts Here campaign is is not a Partnership brand, but came from a collaborative of storm water folks. A small but significant point for us that are thinking that playing down our connection with the Partnership may be a good idea in light of recent negative media attention.

It remains to be seen if the Puget Sound Starts Here slogan makes the big time, but the Sound certainly deserves not to be messed with!